Dont Let Me Fall
by TheKittyWhoFails
Summary: 5 years have gone by, and Max Caufield is finally back in Arcadia Bay, something Chloe Price never thought would happen. Chloe is a lot of things, but she's not sure if she can take up the role of "best friend" again. (Will turn into Pricefield later, there is no rewind powers, Chloe never gets shot in the bathroom.)
1. Chapter 1

**Month 1**

" _Yeah, that's right. Max Caufield has survived 1 month at Blackwell Academy. I was extremely excited when I got accepted, but the more I settle here, the more I wonder about this place._

 _I thought this would be the dream school. Photography was always what I wanted to do. And of course, why wouldn't I want to come back to Arcadia Bay after 5 years? I've missed this place so much. Seattle was good for the most part, but nothing beats HOME. When I saw that I had the opportunity to go to this school and return here, I was probably the happiest person in the world, especially when Mark Jefferson was the photography teacher. He's such an inspiration to me._

 _When I got accepted, I wasn't thinking twice about the decision._

 _...Well, here I am thinking twice about it._

 _Returning to Arcadia Bay was definitely something I've always wanted to do, I don't regret that part. Blackwell on the other hand.. Huh._

 _There's your typical mean girls group, consisting of Courtney, Taylor, and lead by the one and only Victoria Chase. She's a good photographer, but she knows how to run this place. She always gets one of the other two girls to do her homework. Normally she's just on her phone in class, but whenever she needs to say something in class, she knows the answer. I wish I could do that. Everyone's always on their heels around her because if you do or say one thing the wrong way, she'll be up your ass._

 _Then there's Nathan Prescott, a spoiled rich kid who, by the way, is besties with Victoria. Bet you didn't see that one coming. He can do anything he wants and no one will say a word to him because he'll sue you for anything you have. I try not to look at him or Victoria when passing by them, but most of the time they always shout shit. Typical. What makes this so special? They're in the Vortex Club. Puke._

 _Then you have people like Brooke, Dana, Alyssa, Juliet, Daniel, Even, etc. I've talked to them at rare times, for the most part they're alright._

 _Kate Marsh is actually a really cool person. She's very Christian, but she's also sweet and accepting which I love. She was the first person who greeted me when I came here, which I appreciate a lot. We're both shy but it's cool to have someone who's like me in a way? She also gets picked on sometimes, but she's strong and she believes God will handle everything. I won't deny her of that._

 _Last but not least, Warren Graham. He's a huge science geek. I'm not sure how he knows everything, but he's sorta.. cute. He's helped me out with homework and I find him to be very chill, although he always wants to 'Go Ape!' whatever that means. I'll have to ask him one day._

 _I should probably keep up with this journal, but with the amount of homework, I haven't even been able to explore Arcadia Bay. The weekend is coming up, maybe I should wander off and see if this place has changed._

 _..Or not."_

* * *

 **Month 2**

" _Long time, no see Journal._

' _Yeah, Max! You abandoned me!'_

 _I know, I know. But I'm here now._

 _You know the term 'Same shit, different day.'? Yeah, that's basically how I've been lately. It sucks because things have changed, but it's still the typical 'Go to class, get a crap ton of homework, snap a few shots, and back to your dorm'. I still haven't had the change to go out and actually explode Arcadia Bay for how it is. I can't even get 5 minutes of peace until pass curfew._

 _I don't know what it is, but Nathan and Victoria have a vendetta against me. Maybe it's the whole hipster thing, but they're awful. Sometimes I want to sit in my room and cry a storm, but I know that they're just insecure deep down inside. I won't let them win. And besides, Warren and Kate have been great friends._

 _Speaking of Warren.. He asked me if I could go to the movies with him this Saturday. I figured escaping this place for a few hours would help me a lot. He paid for the tickets and he even has a car! I wish I had one, I'd be able to go places._

 _I'm not sure what it is, but I find him cuter and cuter when I talk or see him. I'm pretty sure I got a crush on him.. Yeah Max, you do. I've never really had crushes, I guess this is the whole phase my parents kept talking about. I always said I'd never get to it but here I am. Damn it._

 _I think he likes me too, to be honest. If this movie thing works out, maybe we could you know.. Go out more?_

 _Urgh, Max, come on. Just relax, it's only you and a friend watching a movie, nothing else._

 _We'll see how this goes."_

* * *

 **Month 3**

 _Exciting news, Journal._

 _…Warren and I are together._

 _Yeah, shocking I know. But honestly he makes me so happy. He's the most caring person ever. He's smart and talented too. It's weird how it happened._

 _He told me he wanted to show me a science project that he did with power point. I was pretty intrigued, but I wasn't 100% there. We started watching and slowly I noticed him smiling. It took me a minute, but after reading what he just asked me, I shouted and hugged him so much. I'm pretty sure I heard his back crack. Anyways, of course I said yes! He's amazing. He's helped me with homework too, meaning I could go adventure off into Arcadia without having to worry about time._

 _But then he took me to a place yesterday that I haven't been to in 5 years.. Two Whales Diner._

 _I was hesitant to go there because.. I knew a person who worked there before I left._

 _Joyce._

 _When Warren finally convinced me to go, I was relieved when I didn't see Joyce; not in a good way though. Maybe she wasn't working there anymore. She was the mother to my best- well, former friend now, Chloe. Gosh.. I feel awful now._

 _I'm so sorry, Chloe. I know your dad's death hurt you, and I'm even more sorry for abandoning you. I had no excuse to not text or call. I'm not even sure if you still live here, but if we ever run into each other, I hope I can make up for everything. You were my best friend, my mate, and I just left you._

 _I hope I can see you soon."_


	2. Chapter 2

***Same day Warren took Max to Two Whales***

"Jesus Christ Chloe, again?!"

Joyce's eyes are locked dead on the road as her fists tighten around the steering wheel. Once again, she had to pick Chloe up from the bar. How does she keep getting in? She guaranteed that she had a fake ID. Either that, or the bar doesn't care who goes there. This wasn't the first time, and Joyce was pretty sure that this wouldn't be the last. She hates seeing her daughter drink her life away, telling her repeatedly that if she didn't stop, she'd eventually die from it. But Chloe didn't seem to care. Hell, she probably wanted to die anyways.

"M-Mmm where am.." Chloe mumbled as she gains the slightest consciousness.

"Chloe, we're almost home. You and I are gonna have a serious talk about this young lady."

"M-mom could you just piss offffffff!"

"watch your mouth!"

"What are you gonna d-do about it, huh? Abandon me like everyone else..." As soon as she said that, a tear fell down Chloe's face. Joyce knew she was in pain, but this was not the way to cope with it.

"Chloe, I would've abandoned you a long time ago if I didn't care for you. You need to stop this, please!" And now a tear was going down her cheek.

"If youuuuu actually cared for me.. You'd let me drink myself away. I don't want to liv-"

"CHLOE! STOP."

Dead silence hit the car as Joyce pulled up to the Price house; Or as Chloe calls it: 'Home, shit, home.'

Joyce quickly got out of the car and went to Chloe's side, the woman practically dragging her drunken daughter out of the vehicle. Chloe tried to fight, but eventually she just let it go. Why bother trying anymore. Joyce nearly tosses her on the couch and sits down across from her, trying to see if Chloe was in the condition to talk. Chloe sat up in quite possibly the worst fashion ever, but it was enough for Joyce.

"Why, Chloe.. Why do you do this to yourself? Don't you see what you're doing.. To us?"

Silence was the response.

"Chloe, I need you to talk to me, please. You won't do it when you're sober, at least make an effort to try now."

Chloe murmured under her breath before opening her mouth. "Everyone has left me. Dad… Max… R-Rachel..."

"Chloe, you and I both know that there was nothing we could've done to stop William from dying. Max was forced to move away. Rachel, well, I'm not sure where she is but she wouldn't have left like that without notice."

"Y-you just don't get it, do you.."

"Chloe.."

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE." Chloe stood up, nearly falling back down, the blue-haired girl trying to walk upstairs, but without much success.

"Chloe, don't you dare run."

"DAD LEFT ME. HE WOULDN'T BE DEAD IF YOU DIDN'T CALL HIM TO GO HELP YOU WITH SOME STUPID GROCERIES." Joyce began to shed a few tears after the bolt she just felt from her daughter. "MAX LEFT ME AND HASN'T SAID A FUCKING WORSE SINCE. ALL I WANTED WAS A TEXT. SHE PROMISED ME THAT SHE WOULD STAY IN CONTACT. EVEN IF IT WAS JUST ONE TEXT A WEEK, I DON'T CARE. BUT SHE CAN EVEN TAKE 5 SECONDS OF HER TIME TO WRITE ME. AND RACHEL? SHE'S JUST LIKE MAX. ALL THEY DID WAS ABANDON ME. I THOUGHT..." Chloe gets on her knees and punches the floor.

"I thought she was my Angel.. She… You… N-" And all Joyce could hear was sniffling, her own daughter breaking down in tears. Joyce got up and quickly went to comfort her, but she just got pushed away.

"No one loves me..."

* * *

" _Hello.. Yes, I can't make it to work today. No, I-I totally understand, but.. Oh please don't- Okay, I promise I won't keep missing days, it's just- I understand. Yes.. Thank you so much."_

That was a close one. Losing a job wouldn't be the best thing in a situation like this. She couldn't handle Chloe's behavior for much longer, she needed to go to work. Joyce looks over at Chloe, who finally passed out on the couch, shaking her head in disappointment. _'What happened to the old Chloe.. The one who was always happy? Who would go out not to do drugs, but to skate? Who would get good grades in school? I understand some of it, but why couldn't she move on like.. like I did. She should know that I'm here for her. I wish she'd talk to me about everything'_ Joyce walked over to Chloe, wiping the dried up tears on her face that formed while crying herself to sleep.

About 30 minutes later, David woke up, getting ready for work. He saw Chloe, who was still passed out on the couch, and went to Joyce questioning why. Joyce told him everything and his face grew the expression of anger. Being a former soldier himself, he knew the feelings Chloe was going through, after losing a close friend in the war. She should know better than to drink underage. Running to Chloe's room without Joyce knowing, he started digging through her things. It's not shocking that he found a bag of weed, joints, cigarettes, and even beer. He created a pile of all the junk, got a bag and tossed it all in it. As he tried discretely to leave her room, Joyce catches him in the act.

"David, what are you doing in her room?!"

"I took it upon myself to get all of her crap and get rid of it."

"David, you're her step father. You KNOW she doesn't like you. Why are you going to make the situation worse? All she'll do is lash out and drink again."

"Or maybe you could sit there and GROUND HER? Take everything away, she'll suck it up!"

"I've tried that. You don't realize what that does to her. She'll just hate me even more than she does now."

"At this point, the only other option is to send here away. Somewhere where they can deal with-"

"DAVID! I am NOT sending my daughter away! Don't you think that'll worsen the situation? She'll never forgive me for that."

"Joyce, come on! I've heard so many stories of children turning their lives around. It can help her."

"No."

"Joy-"

"I said, no. She isn't your daughter, she's mine. Not put her stuff back before I send you out."

David grunts as he is forced to put her belongings back in her room. Joyce went to her room and slammed the door, locking it. She quickly fell asleep after the night she went through.

Chloe stirs awake while Joyce and David are arguing. She's not sure what they're saying, but she knows it's about her. Groggly, she looks at her phone for the time. 6:35am. "Damn, I don't even know what the hell I did." She sits up and rubs her eyes, getting her vision fully back. "Fuccckkkk" She feels the affects of a hangover. You'd think by now that she wouldn't get them because she drinks so much.

 **Slam**

Chloe jumps, almost standing up in the process. _'Man, her and step-douche must've really gotten into it'_

She slowly gets up, holding onto things as she makes her way to the stairs.

"Man, I ho- WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!" She opened her door to find David in her room. "What the hell are you doing in here? You sh-"

"Chloe! Calm down, I'm just putting this stuff back."

Chloe's fists form balls. "Why do you even have that, asshat?!"

"I came in here and took it all, I was going to trash it b-"

Flailing her arms, she starts screaming up a storm. "DUDE, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, THIS IS MY STUFF. WHY ARE YOU GOING THROUGH MY CRAP?!"

"Your mom and I argued about it and she told me to put it back. That's all I'm doing."

Chloe crossed her arms, letting out a huge chuckle. "Finally, she fucking does SOMETHING right."

"Chloe, your mo-"

"Get the fuck out."

And with that, David dropped her things and began to head out, not before pointing a finger in Chloe's face, stating "Don't you EVER think that your mother doesn't love you." And with that, he left.

' _What does he fucking know.. He doesn't know what it feels like to have everyone abandon you without saying anything.. Damn, I need to bake.'_ Grabbing her joint, she smokes until it goes out, shortly after, she falls back asleep.

* * *

 **Okay guys, I'm gonna start by asking, long or short chapters? And by long I mean maybe 3k+ words. Short would be about 1.5k. I don't want to make the story drag but I also don't wanna go so quickly. I wanna make this a lengthy story, so just give me your thoughts. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**2 days later**

Chloe wakes up to the sun beaming down on her face. She tries to move her left arm, but can't as it's numb from being slept on. She slowly uses her right arm to get on her knees, then flopping over to her left side.

' _Ugh, what time is it'_

She sits up to the edge of the bed, grabbing her phone. _'12:35pm'_

' _Well, at least I didn't waste the whole day away. Not that I have anything exciting to do anyways.'_

David and Joyce are still tense after the fight they had 2 morning ago. They say hi to each other, but they don't hug or talk as much as they usually would. Chloe didn't care at all though, still doing whatever she wanted.

When her arm finally gained consciousness, she wobbled her way to her desk, opening her laptop. Getting dressed wasn't a priority for her at this moment, and no one was home so it wasn't like someone would come in. She logs into facebook with only a few notifications, mostly spam. One message was a random guy asking for her nudes. _'Oh, fuck off. And.. blocked.'_ She then sighs. _'Another crappy day as usual, nothing from Rachel.. or Max.'_ Max never updated her facebook page, so it wasn't like Chloe could message her on there. She did when Max left, but she eventually gave up after learning Max wouldn't respond. It was the same with texting. Chloe doesn't know if she got a new number or not. At this point, it doesn't matter anymore. Max had forgotten about her, but Chloe will never forget about Max.

Chloe will always be upset at Max, and she doesn't know if she'd ever forgive her if she saw her. Deep inside of her though, she wants Max back. Max was such a good friend to her in their childhood that if Max ever returned, she feels like she'd forget about her being abandoned by her. No matter what Max did, Chloe can't seem to let go of her. She just wish she knew why Max wouldn't message her. Just when she thought she found somebody who would actually care for her, Rachel disappears as well. She called Rachel her Angel, they were there for each other. Despite Chloe being expelled from school, Rachel took care of Chloe in a way. Then she started drifting away for some reason, not responding to texts until days later, saying she was always busy. Then she just.. Disappeared. Something had to happen to her. She wouldn't leave without saying a word. But who knows, maybe Chloe wasn't good enough. Her two closest friends left her, so maybe it was her at fault for the friendships ending.

Trying to get rid of her thoughts, she got up, and decided to shower. She needed to ease her mind with nice hot water.

She shrieks as she stepped into the cold water. She was getting impatient on how slow the water was trying to get warm. As she applies shampoo on her head, her mind drifts off on how her life could've been if Max never left. They could've gone to high school together, helped each other with homework, been there for each other when they needed it. Hell, they could've hooked each other up with random dates! Chloe chuckled at the thought. _'Max would've hated that.'_ And then she frowned. Max was her only best friend in Arcadia Bay. Rachel saved her, but Max was.. different. Chloe can't figure out why, but her and Max had something no one could ever replace, no matter if she abandoned her. Deep down inside, Chloe misses her so much.

Finally finishing up her shower, she wraps a towel around her and takes a look into the mirror. "Damn Chloe, you're a hot mess.. Literally. And this blueish pinkish vibe I got needs to go. Guess I'll go later for hair dye." She raced back into her room, shivering, quickly grabbing clothes. _'Let's see.. Black ripped jeans, combat boots, a tank top too big for me and her leather jacket? Perfect. Can't forget the beanie either.'_ Sitting back down and opening her laptop to facebook, an ad caught her eye right away. "No way! Fucking BEARTOOTH?! IN ARCADIA BAY, TONIGHT? Dude I'm so in!" She clicked the ad and saw there was limited tickets left, although tickets were being sold at the door at 5:30. She searched around and found just enough money to go. _'35 should cover my ticket and food.. And possibly a fucking drink. I need it.'_ Just when she sat back down to see more info at the little concert, her phone rang. Looking at her phone, it was a text from someone she hadn't heard from in a while.

 ** _Science geek from Blackwell:_ **_'Chloe! Long time, no see. Did you see the ad for Beartooth? Pretty sick right?_

' _What the hell, I didn't know he was into rock or metal. Points for you, dude.'_

 _ **Chloe:** 'Dude, since when were you into all that? And fuck yeah I did! Thank God I had enough money. Wouldn't miss them for the world. You gonna go?'_

 _ **Science geek from Blackwell:** 'Of course! The only thing is I want my girlfriend to come. :| She's not into that music so it may take some convincing.'_

 _ **Chloe:** 'Aww Warren's got a girlfriend, how cute. Screw her dude! You should totally come whether she likes it or not. We can meet up and just let loose.'_

' _And no emoji'_

 _ **Science geek from Blackwell:** 'Shut up! I'll figure it out. I'll text you the deeds later.'_

* * *

"Maaxxx!"

Max smiles as she sees her boyfriend down the hallway. As they walk towards each other, Max starts running and yells "Warreeeennn!" Cheesy shit, yeah. They embrace in a hug and Warren gives her a peck on the cheek. "How was school today outside of the classes we had together?"

"They were cool, nothing new. What about you, Max?"

"Same thing here. I'm just glad I can be here with you now." Warren's cheeks turn red just a tiny but as Max wraps her arms around his neck. Warren gives her a kiss on the lips and asks "So, after you go to your locker, can I talk to you about something?"

"What's it about?" Max says with a tiny bit of worry in her

"It's nothing bad, it's actually cool! Well to me it is. Can I go to your dorm?"

"Of course, Warren." Max smiles, and grabs his hand as they go to her locker. She just tosses everything but homework in it and they both head to her dorm room.

Warren opens the door for Max, both going in and closing the door behind him. "So what did you wanna talk about?"

"So there's this concert tonight.."

Max laughs a little "That's it? A concert?"

"Yeah! But, it's one of my favorite bands. It's Beartooth."

"Dude, I've never heard of them. But I assume they're a rock or metal band?"

"Yeah! Anyways um.. Do you wanna go? I know you don't like the style of music but me being there could help you, ya know." Warren gives off a smile as he rubs his arm, hoping his girlfriend would simply say yes.

"You're so funny. Of course I don't mind going. But you have to help me with homework! What time does it start?"

"5:45, but tickets are sold at the front door starting at 5:30. They're 20 bucks each. We'd have to get there early to beat the line."

"So basically leave now? Because it's like 4:30."

"I gotta run back to my dorm and get ready! I'll be right back Maxi!"

"Wait!-" And Warren was gone.

While running to his dorm, Warren pulled out his phone and texted Chloe. _'Go Ape!'_

 _ **Chloe:** 'See ya there, geek!'_

Considering the concert was about 30 minutes away from her house, Chloe grabbed all of her belongings and took off at 4:30. She wanted to get at least near the front of the line to get a ticket. It's rare that Chloe was excited for something, so going out tonight felt special, and she wasn't going alone. At least she had someone to hang with for a few hours. Although she will be 3rd wheeling, but it was cool. About 15 minutes later, she started seeing Blackwell Academy in her path. _'Stupid school, I always hated this place. Principle Wells is a douch-bag and a druggy. I'm one too, but at least I'm not_ _a damn principle.'_ As she got closer, she saw what looked to be Warren and her girlfriend walking down the steps to the parking lot. Chloe honked her horn, startling both of them. "Yo Warren! See you tonight geek!" She honked once more before disappearing down the road. _'_ _Didn't get a good look at her but s_ _he_ _seems interesting_ _, I'll admit. But she looks like a hipster. Reminds me of...'_

"Who was that?!" Max barely got the words out of her mouth as she was more concentrated on getting her heart beat to go down.

"Just a.. Friend I guess? Of mine. I uh.. forgot to tell you about that we're going with her to see them!"

"And who is this friend you speak of?"

"You'll find out when I introduce her to you."

"Don't make me hurt you, Warren."

"Chill, Max! It'll be all good. I promise."

They both slowly walked to the car, hand in hand. It was a pretty peaceful day out. Your typical birds chirping, wind blowing at just the right amount, giving a breeze to this fall weather. Winter was around the corner, which was fine with Max, but she'd prefer staying indoors during it. Snuggling up with Warren with a nice cup of hot coco sounds pretty good. Warren noticed the smile on Max's face and chuckled. "Whatcha up to, babe?"

"Just thinking of you, that's all."

"How sweet of you to keep me in your thoughts. Don't worry, I do the same thing!"

"I'm sure you do."

Warren opens up the door for Max, then getting into the drivers side. Turning on the car and looking at the time, it was 5:03. Blackwell to the concert was only a 10 minute drive, so they should be able to get in no problem.

* * *

Pulling up to the place, it was a medium sized building, it looked a little run down and it wasn't the best looking place on the outside. Outside, multiple people are drinking and smoking, chatting away as the anticipation for the band comes closer. The sun is still up, but it was getting colder by the minute. Max and Warren got out of the car and walked around to see about 15 people in line. The first person in line just so happened to be Chloe, but Warren and Max didn't notice her. They just got in line and waited.

"So how good really is this band?"

"They're pretty great. My favorite song by them is Set Me On Fire. I'm not sure if they'll play it but it's a great song to head bang to."

"I've never seen you do that! I can see your hair flopping everywhere."

Warren gives a slight shove to Max and smiles, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I do it at my own time. But tonight, if you wanna see it, it'll happen." After a few minutes of chatting, the security guard came and the line started moving. As he got closer, Warren started getting pumped up. He couldn't wait to get in there. Finally, the wait was over, after handing in the cash, both of them walked in and it was very dark inside. It was much warmer than outside considering how many bodies were in the building. It smelled a little musky, but nothing anyone couldn't handle.

Heading to the drink area, Warren mumbles "I wonder where she is.."

"I don't know, what does she look like?"

"Well, last time I saw her she had short brown hair.. She always wears a beanie, ripped jeans and boots. Oh, and a leather jacket. I've never seen her without it. I'll just shoot her a text."

' _Yo Chloe, where ya at?'_

They waited a few minutes, but no response. "She's probably just as hyped as everyone else here. Probably can't hear her phone."

Both got cokes, as soon as they grabbed them, Beartooth got on stage. All of a sudden, people trampled over each other trying to get to the stage. _'This is definitely not for me, holy wowzers. But if this makes Warren happy, I'll get through it.'_ Next thing she knows, Warren is dragging her whole body to the front. They had to fight but they got there somewhat safely.

The lead vocalist grabs the mic "Okay, are we fucking ready everyone?!"

The crowd bursts into cheers

"I said.. ARE. YOU. READY?!"

The crowd bursts a "Hell yeah!" To Caleb

' _YEAH!_

 _OOHHHHH!_

 _AM I THE SON IN OR OUT OF LAW?_

 _HOW MANY CHANCES DO I GET BEFORE MY HEAD EXPLODES?!_

Caleb points to the crowd to get them singing

' _What's going on? What's going on?'_

 _WHEN I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR THERE'S ANOTHER GUN_

' _What's going on? What's going on?'_

 _WHEN I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR, THERE'S ANOTHER GUN!"_

Max looks over at Warren, who as he promised, started head banging. Max bursted out laughing, loud enough for Warren to look over and give her a smile. He then raised his hand as the chorus came in

' _When I tell you I'll be fine_

 _I still want you by my side_

 _Please just try to read between the lines_

 _Where's my comfort in the undefined_

 _Please just try to read between the LINNNNEEESSSS!_

 _If I'm your son, do you hear my call?_

 _Even if everything I touch will slowly turn to stone_

The crowd sings again.

' _What's going on? What's going on?'_

 _WHEN I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR THERE'S ANOTHER GUN_

' _What's going on? What's going on?'_

 _WHEN I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR, THERE'S ANOTHER GUN!"_

' _The lyrics in this song is.. Interesting. But I kinda dig it.'_ And Max started swaying her head around. Maybe rock wasn't that bad after all. Not that it _was_ bad but she just never got into it.

' _When I tell you I'll be fine_

 _I still want you by my side_

 _Please just try to read between the lines_

Where's my comfort in the undefined

Please just try to read between the lines

 _What is the poison inside of me_

 _The sickness in my head_

 _Put me to sleep while I find a cure for the sickness in my head_

 _We are the sons, we are the daughters_

 _We are the generation of disorder_

 _We are the sons, we are the daughters_

 _We are the generation of disorder_

 _GO!_

' _EVERYBODY JUMP!'_

Warren started jumping profusely, almost knocking Max down. "Sorry!" He shouted, continuing to jump. Max saw everyone around her jumping, she was the only one not doing it. _'Screw it'_ She joined everyone and jumped along.

After a few songs, everyone all sweating and panting, there's a huge crowd near the bar. Max lost Warren in the crowd, and was determined to find him, even if she was a bit tired. As she tore through them, she bumped into a girl who was a bit taller than her. She was wearing a beanie, and a leather jacket. Maybe this was the girl Warren was talking about? She couldn't really see her hair color due to the beanie.

"Yo, watch where you're going! You spilled my beer!"

"I'm sorry.. Uh, I can give you money for it."

Chloe crossed her arms and sighed "Yeah, that'll fucking work."

Still not knowing who each other was, they walked up to the bar which was a little more empty than before. Max leant money over to Chloe and Chloe bought herself another bottle. There was a little more light so Max could finally get a decent look at this girl. She had short blue hair.. But everything else Warren said seemed to match her look. Both of them took a seat, Chloe taking a sip of the beer. She then looked over at Max, putting her head down. "Dude, it's okay. No need to feel down about it. It's just a beer."

"Can I.. Ask you something?"

"Depends. Is it good or bad?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then shoot."

"I'm here with my boyfriend.. And he said that a friend of his would be here? And yo-"

"Warren? You're his girlfriend?"

"Ye-yeah."

"Don't be shy! Cool to meet you! What's your name?" Chloe asks as she holds her hand out

She grabs her hand and shakes it "My name's-"

"There you are!"

Both girls looked to the voice, which was Warren.

"I looked everywhere for you!"

"I can say the same thing."

"Yeah, and-" Warren turns over to Chloe, who's sitting there staring at him "Hey Chloe! Wow, you changed your hair color!"

Max all of a sudden widens her eyes and freezes. A rush of regret and anxiousness goes over her. ' _No fucking way! Is this really Chloe?! Holy. Shit.'_

"Hell yeah, I rock it like a BOSS!.. Hey, is your girlfriend okay?"

Max starts tearing up, looking up at the girl. She then launches forward and gives Chloe a desperate hug.

"Dude! Why are you hugging me like that? Get off!"

Warren tries to pry Max off, but he can't. He's never seen her like this before. Beartooth got back on stage and started singing.

' _Woah, Woah! Woah, Woah!_

 _Life just sucks when all you know is the bottom.._

 _It's not your choice, there's no escaping it  
Get up and run as far as you can_

 _Head to higher ground while there's a chance to live.._

 _Don't run away, run away, run away_

 _Don't run away, run away_

 _RUN!'_

Warren finally got her to come off, and then dragged her out of the building. Chloe was questioning whether to go follow or not. She decided to just go. _'Why did this random ass girl hug me?'_

She caught up with Warren talking to his girl against the side of the building, asking multiple times what's wrong as she broke down in tears. Then, Max told Warren to leave her alone for a few minutes. He did as he was told, and walked away, sitting on a bench not too far but not too close.

Chloe saw how upset she was and went over to Warren. "Dude, is she okay?"

"I'm not sure. She kept saying 'I'm sorry' over and over."

"Maybe I can talk to her, she did hug me after all."

"Go ahead."

Chloe shuffles over to the girl who finally pulled herself together, but when Max saw her coming, she just hid her face in her hands.

"Hey uh.. What's wrong? Why did you hug me in there?"

Max mumbled in her hands "I'm sorry."

"Okay I get it, you're sorry. Can I see your face at least?"

Max shook her head

Chloe grabbed Max's arms and pried them from her face. "Damn it, look at me!"

All of a sudden, Max threw her arms down, making Chloe release them. She then slowly looked up at the girl, her face red from crying. "There.. You happy?"

"I just wanted to-"

"Take a good look at me, _Chloe Price._ "

"How do you know my last name?.. Wait, no way.."

As soon as she said her name, it dawned on her.

"...Max?"

* * *

 **Songs: The Lines and In Between – Both by Beartooth.**

 **Well, we're finally here. I did tweak their personalities just a little bit.. But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, any feedback would be great. It feels weird for me to write Warren/Max because I never shipped them. But down the line that will change. Hopefully that's a big enough cliffhanger for y'all. Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

***Spoiler: Contains a tiny bit of the Farewell episode***

* * *

"...Max?"

Max's head repeatedly said the same thing in Chloe's tone.. "Max? Max? MaxMaxMaxMax..."

"MAX!" She was startled by the sudden yell, shaking her head and darting her eyes at Chloe's.

Then, Max's head went into auto-pilot mode. "Chloe.. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. For your father's death, for leaving you when you needed me most.. For not contacting you while I was away. I wanted to so badly but I was scared!" It was then when Max launched at Chloe and gave her a huge bear hug. "Chloe, please, I didn't want to meet back up like this. I w-"

"H-How long, M-Max.." The words barely snuck out of Chloe's mouth as her lips quivered from the emotional state she was in. She didn't hug Max back, she just sat there in rage, anger, bitterness, sadness, and maybe an ounce of happiness and relief? She couldn't tell what she was feeling, anger was the most right now though. When the girl didn't respond, Chloe's fists became balls and she twisted her neck in annoyance. "How long have you been here for, Max?!"

Max heard the anger building up in Chloe's voice, whispering to her "3 months. A little over 3 months." She let go of her slowly and taking a few steps back. Max knew Chloe could be a hot head, but that was 5 years ago. Max didn't know how she was _now._

"3 huh.. And nothing of course, right?" Chloe chuckled and shook her head, waving her arms in the air. "I'm back in Arcadia Bay where I left my old best friend after 5 years, maybe I should text her! No, I can't even fucking do that, CAN I?!" Mocking Max.

"I wanted to, Chloe, so badly! I-"

"Do you really think I'm gonna buy into all your excuses? YOU HAVE NONE. ZERO. I sat there everyday for the longest time, trying to get you to answer me. All I wanted was a damn hi. An "Are you okay?" I couldn't even get that! I sat there for months Max! MONTHS." She pulled her hair backwards, clenching the beanie in her left hand as she took steps forward towards Max. Max just backed into the cold brick wall. Chloe got right in her face and chuckled again. Max could see the burning in her eyes. She wasn't scared of the girl, but she knew she wasn't in the safest position to be in at that moment.

"I'm so fucked up, Max.. You have no idea who the hell I am now. You, dad, and RACHEL. Urgh!" She punched the right side of the wall next to Max's head. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt the girl one bit. "You're fucking lucky I don't take your ass out right now."

They were both staring at each other, both not knowing what to say next. Max was pretty sure Chloe got everything out, but Max didn't want to push her in any way. Max tilts her head, and notices the burn in Chloe's eyes slowly dimming. It looked more like a cry for help in Max's eyes. She slowly lifted her arms and wrapped them around Chloe's sides, pulling her in for the best hug she could possibly give the girl. Chloe still had her fist on the brick wall, staring at where Max's head was. In her mind, all she could repeat was _'let me go'._ A rush of tears came flooding down her face. At that moment, despite the hug, she couldn't forgive her. "Chloe, I'm here."

"...I wish.." A big sniffle came out of the girl as she straightened her body. "I wish I could believe that." She grabbed Max's arms and untangled them from her sides, lowering the girls arms. Max squinted her eyes, put her head down and rubbed her hands on her pants. She wasn't sure how to take the rejection from her friend. Friend?

"Chloe pleas-"

Chloe slammed her foot down causing Max to shoot her head up. The fire was in her eyes again. "I went 5 years without you.. I can go another." She sloppily threw her beanie on her head, storming off into the parking lot, hands clenching, practically turning white. The clanking of her boots were gun shots to Max's stomach. Chloe happened to pass by Warren, who looked up at the girl asking where she was going. Chloe stopped, turned around and gave a big " _Fuck you! And Fuck her."_ She pulled out a cigarette, slid in her truck and fled the scene.

Warren quickly jogged to Max, who had her head buried in her curled up legs, crying up a storm. Warren comforted her for a moment, before suggesting they go back to Blackwell.

* * *

Warren shuts the door behind him as Max plops herself onto her bed, curling up in a ball. He just sat in her chair, staring at her. Silence fell over the room, and it was something he couldn't take for long. Finally, he gained the courage to break it. "So.. Um.. What happened back there, Max?"

No response. Warren got up and went to the bed, lifting Max up and into his arms. She buried her head in his shoulder, sniffling after all the crying she did. "Babe, please tell me. I can't stand seeing you like this."

After a few seconds, Max finally opened up. "I-I know who she is."

"Yeah, I think I pretty much know that by now.. How?"

"We used to be.. Best friends. She was my first mate." She chuckled "My captain."

"Okay..?"

"We used to pretend like we were pirates.."

"Oh! Gotcha. Go on."

"Chloe.. She was helping her dad make pancakes. He had just taken a picture of us. Haha, she was so happy.. Then I hear the phone ring and he picks it up. Turns out it was Joyce, her mom. She-She needed him to pick her up from the store, she had made some groceries. He looked for his keys, finding them seconds later and left.. We were supposed to eat Salmon for dinner that night.. With dessert as usual. While he was gone, we blew up dolls. Her mom told her to clean out her room, but she didn't want to trash anything I gave her. Eventually, we played as pirates. And of all this, I was leaving for Seattle a few days after. I kept trying to tell her but.. She kept distracting me. We had dug up a capsule that we buried 5 years before that, and after that, I finally told her I was leaving. She actually knew about it, and distracted me from mentioning it.. That way we could spend as much time together as we possibly could. After getting all the emotion out, Chloe goes to do something and Joyce opens the door very slowly. I'm standing there staring at her.. Pain just caved over her, tears running down her face.. Obviously something was wrong. Chloe goes up to her, and Joyce tells her right then and there.. Her dad was gone."

"Oh my God.. How.. How di-"

"Car accident.."

"Wow.."

"I saw her break down like I've never seen her before.. And the fact that I was leaving made it so much worse for me. I'm sure it made her feel worse than ever.. I-" Tears slid down her cheek "I couldn't do anything.. The move was already happening. I left straight from the funeral to Seattle. I never got to say a proper goodbye to her. How does someone deal with losing their father and best friend in the span of days? No one ever comes out okay.. No one."

Warren lifted Max's head up, looking her in the eyes with sorrow. "I'm so sorry Max.. That must've been so hard on you both. I had no idea." Max plops her head on his chest this time, mumbling.

"I left her one final recording on her tape machine.. I'm not sure if she ever listened to it or not."

"Why did she storm off like that then? Shouldn't she be a little happy that you're here?"

"I texted her maybe once or twice.. After that, I just forgot about her. I don't know.. I was so fucking stupid!" She took her fist and slammed it against the bed, startling her boyfriend. "I abandoned her.. I just _fucking_ left her. What kind of person leaves their best friend like that? I tried so hard to convince my parents to stay.. But I couldn't do it. What kind of person am I?"

Warren squeezed Max, trying to calm her down. "Max, you can't blame yourself. There was nothing you could've done about moving and her dad's death.. And it always happens that people lose contact."

"I told her I'd message her.. I _promised_ her. And I broke that promise. No wonder she doesn't trust me. I don't know what to do. I miss her so much, I'd do anything to get her back in my life."

"You'll just have to wait it out, Max. Maybe I can give you her number and you can text her. This time, you _need_ to be there for her, no matter what. It's been a long 5 years, you don't know who she is now. I can tell you she drinks and smokes, she's rebellious. She used to go here, actually; but she got expelled for good."

"Do y-you know why?"

"You'd have to ask her that. Come on, it's late. I'll tell you her number. Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

"I'm gonna be a depressed freak, Warren. I'm not sure if you wanna see that."

"It's okay, I'm here for you." He states Chloe's number while Max puts it into her phone. He kisses the top of her head, and she sobs for half of the night before falling asleep in Warren's arms.

* * *

Smoke filled the truck as she raced down the highway. Cigarette after cigarette, she talked to herself about what the hell happened. _'I can't believe her.. She just expects me to accept her apology and move on like nothing? She doesn't know the hell I went through while she was gone. "Chloe, I'm here." What a bitch ass liar. Where were you these past 5 years, HUH?!'_ Then she screamed _"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU!?"_ She slammed her hands on the wheel in between each word, before cussing up a storm. The last time she was nearly this angry was when.. Rachel disappeared. _'_ _I seriously just want to die. Why do bad things happen to me..'_

She drove and drove, somehow making it home without any damage to anything. She would've went to her so called 'Home away from hell', but for some reason she felt the need to lock herself in her room and just fuck life. She quickly opened the door, hearing the TV in the living room.

"Chloe, is that-"

"Shut it, mom."

"Chloe! What the hell has gotten into you?"

Chloe didn't say a word, just grabbed a beer from the fridge and started going upstairs. She heard footsteps coming closer, Joyce trying to talk to her again. "Chloe, come down right now!"

"Leave me the fuck alone." Chloe sprinted up the rest of the stairs. Good thing her room was right next to it. She quickly slipped in and slammed the door, locking it behind her.

 **bang bang bang** "Young lady, get out here!"

No response

"Chloe, are we really doing this again?!"

Then, music blared from the room. Joyce had no choice but to just leave her alone.

She began to roll up a joint. _'Time to bake my life away.. Again.'_

' _ **Wake up to a cloudy day, dark rolls in and it starts to rain.**_

 _ **Staring out to the cage like walls, time goes by and the shadows crawl**_

 _ **Crushing candy, crushing pills**_

 _ **Got no job, mom pays my bills**_

 _ **Texting ex's, get my fill**_

 _ **Sweatin' bullets, netflix chills**_

 _ **World's out there singin' the blues**_

 _ **20 more dead on the evening news**_

 _ **Think to myself 'Really what's the use? I'm just like you, I was born to lose.'**_

As the song went on, she lit it up and slid into her bed. The grass got Chloe to a state of calmness, making her slowly forget everything in life. This was always how she coped with pain. Nothing ever made her feel this relaxed. If only this feeling could last forever.

' _ **I am so freaking bored, nothing to do today;**_

 _ **I guess I'll sit around and medicate (Medicate)**_

 _ **I am so freaking bored, nothing to do today;**_

 _ **I guess I'll sit around and medicate (Medicate)**_

The whistles of the song blew, and Chloe whistled along to it. She took a sip of her fresh beer, a slight 'Ah' after. This was the only way for her to truly feel alive (In the worst way possible).

* * *

A loud yawn filled the room, stirring Max awake. She slightly lifts her head up to see Warren stretching his arms and legs, looking like a sea star. Everything is blurry, but she figures it's from all the crying she had done the previous night before. Rolling onto her left side, she wipes her eyes and face, feeling all the dried tears. _'vision is back.. what time is it'_ She searches for her phone in the laziest way, which somehow caught the attention of Warren. She finds it under her pillow, and presses the lock button.

"Ahh, bright light.." ' _Bad phone, bad! Shit.. Only 6:20'_

Warren reached over to her and pulled her in so they were cuddling, Max's face burying into his chest. "Max, go back to sleep."

"Warren.."

"Yep?"

"Do you think I should talk to Joyce? She worked at Two Whales Diner when I was here years ago. She may still be there.."

"Maybe it's better for you to wait? Who knows what state Chloe is in. Joyce may not say anything."

"No, Warren.. I need to go now. Before everyone rushes in. She doesn't know I'm here, at least I don't think. I don't know if Chloe told her. She's the one person I can really talk to about her. She'll talk, even if I've been gone for a while. It would be nice to catch up too.."

Warren sighs and eventually gives in. "Well.. Get ready and I'll drive you over there."

"This is something I should do alone.. I'm sorry but I need this. I need Chloe back in my life.. I've missed her so much."

"Let me drop you off then. Please?"

"Sure."

Max grabbed her things and headed towards the showers. There wasn't a soul in the hallway, everyone must want their beauty sleep. Usually Max would too, but this was too important to sleep away. She grabs the handle of the door, opening it and behold, Victoria standing there brushing her teeth. Max sighed heavily, not wanting to deal with any of the shit she had to say to her.

"Well, look who decided to show up so early. Got an important date with your bitch?" She rinsed her mouth and put her hands to her hips.

"Victoria, please don't."

"What's wrong, Max? You know it's true. Besides, who would want to date that trash anyway? Oh, right! Another pile of trash."

"Seriously, what the _fuck_ is your problem? I haven't done SHIT to you."

Victoria then flew towards Max, who just stood there ready to take whatever she was gonna take. She grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her forward so she was face to face, literally.

"Listen here, hipster trash. I _run, RUN_ this place. You hear me? I could have you gone in a heartbeat. You and most of these people are _nothing._ I mean look at yourself! You think you can compare to me? You will _never_ make it in life. You're a loser. Do all of us a favor and fuck off." Victoria pushes Max back firmly before grabbing her things and heading out. As much as it hurt being bullied, that wasn't something Max could think about right now.

After cleansing herself, she headed back to her room, telling Warren she was almost ready. When he asked what took her a little longer than usual, she basically repeated everything Victoria said to him.

"Man, what a bitch."

"Right."

"One day you just need to lay it on her, Max! I'll take Nathan on."

"Warren, he's got everyone here with their tail between their legs. At this point it's not worth it. Everyone will defend him."

"One day, he'll pay."

After collecting their things, they both headed out to his car. Max had never been this nervous, but it was something that had to be done. She wanted Chloe back in her life.

Destination: Two Whales.

* * *

 **Okay! So I've been slacking. I had a totally different beginning to this, and I decided to change the whole direction of the story and go with, uh, what I obviously have here. It still feels weird writing Warren/Max! It feels forced to me but I decided to go that route so it's really my fault.. Meep. I know these are short chapters, and I try to at least get close to 3k per chapter, which is still short. I can't see myself pulling off 10k word chapters unless there's a lot going on, and I feel like having so many places in one chapter is too much? I don't know, give me your opinion on this. Anyways, I hope this chapter is okay. I just picked up the computer and typed whatever I felt like, so this was written in like 2 hours lol. Until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Flashback**_

"You done with the time capsule?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well perfect, because now I'm finished. Check it out!"

' _ **This is so silly.'**_

"This jaw breaker is going to last forever?"

"Just like.. Our friendship."

"Oh, Chloe.. You were really drawing me that whole time?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, mushiness alert! Keep it together, Max."

' _I guess now's my chance to tell Chloe I'm leaving. We might not be alone again once her parents get back.'_

"Hey, ready for something else? I've got a great plan for the afternoon."

' _Crap. I don't want to ruin the rest of the day.'_

"You're staying for dinner, right?"

' _Would Chloe even want me to tell her? She's already got enough drama from Blackwell.'_

"Max?"

' _It's just Seattle. I'm probably over-stressing about the whole thing. Right?'_

Max looks around, knowing that she needed to get this off her chest. She took a seat, putting her hands together between her thighs and sighed.

"Chloe?"

"Max?"

"I wanna tell you.. Something."

"Okay."

"I'm, um.. My family's moving to Seattle really soon.." after a long pause, she broke the silence. "Hey.."

"In three days, right?"

Max was baffled that Chloe knew. How? "What? You knew that?"

"Our parents do talk, you know?"

"But the said I should be the one to tell you-"

"They still told my parents. I guess mom and dad were trying to keep quiet, too, but they're bad at hiding anything.. Don't look so worried Max, it's okay."

Both girls sat in silence for a few seconds before Chloe playfully shoves Max on the arm and chuckles lightly.

"Come on, dork-meister. It's not the end of the world."

"I should have just told you earlier.. God, I feel so stupid."

"Max, I said it was okay."

"I tried to tell you this morning, but-"

"But I totally distracted you with the pirate tape! Success!"

"Seriously?"

"I didn't want this hanging over us all day. Plus I know you hate this kind of conversation, so.. I just left it alone, you know?" Chloe and Max both stand up and hold their hands to each others. "Come on. I want to spend every minute we have together having fun."

"We'll keep in touch, okay? And visit, and maybe we'll move back. Who knows?"

"Chill out, we can go to college together, it's going to be fine.. We're Max and Chloe, remember? We're always together, even when we're not."

"That's true."

"Cool, let's find something fun to do."

Both girls get hyped back up, but then the door knob clicks and walking in comes an almost physically ill looking Joyce. She's just bowing her head, tears racing down her face. Chloe runs to her and all Max can see next is her best friend falling apart..

 _ **End of flashback**_

"Max, Yo Max!"

"Huh?! Whaa?!"

"Damn Max, you spaced out so badly I thought you were having a seizure."

Max remembers every detail of that day and everything that led after. Why did she have to leave the same day as her funeral? Why did her parents not let her stay with Chloe? Why did she ruin her life..

"So-sorry, Warren.. All I can think of is that day.. The day everything went so downhill. What do I even say to Joyce? 'Hey, I know I abandoned you guys 5 years ago, but I'm back! Chloe and I are gonna be besties again!'"

"Max, you know I'll be there for you. I'm sure you'll know the right thing to say."

She remembered the path to get to the diner that carried so many of her memories in Arcadia Bay. Her parents would always take her and Chloe there on the weekends, and hell, when the diner was closed they'd still run around. Of course, they had to help Joyce clean up, but the two girls always came up with something different to do. It was a special place in Max's heart. Being only a few minutes away, Max starts rubbing her sweaty hands on her jeans, sighing as nervousness started building. As much as she's happy to see Joyce again, she's just as afraid of rejection. That Joyce wouldn't want to see her after what happened. She was like a second mom to her.. William passing took a huge toll on everyone.

Warren held out his hand as he saw his girlfriend getting nervous, and she took it slowly but surely.

"I love you, Max. Just know that I'll be here no matter what." And they rode in silence the rest of the way.

Parking his car, he slowly let go of Max's hand and turned to her. He rubbed her back as she sighs. ' _I hate seeing her like this..'_

"Um.. I hope it's okay, but I think you should go back to the dorms. I'll take the bus back. Or if Joyce can take me to the house.. If she even bothers with me.. I can talk to Chloe. I'm not sure how long this could take."

"Are you sure, babe? I don't mind wait-"

"I think it's best, Warren. Thank you though."

"Okay.. Well, I'll see you soon then. And good luck. Call me if you need anything. I love you."

"I love you too." They gave each other a quick kiss before Max crawled out and stepped into the greasy-aroma in the air. _'Just as I remember it.. No Max, no crying. You fucked up, you need to step up.'_

The diner looks about the same as she remembered. A little more run down, but the same nonetheless. As she peaked through the windows, she sees a cop sitting at the bar drinking a cup of coffee, eating breakfast. A few other people were talking, she even sees two boys who looked familiar. _'Pretty sure their names are Trevor and Justin..'_

Walking into the diner, she heard a female voice shouting from the back. "Welcome to Two Whales!" Assuming that she could sit anywhere, she chose to sit in the booth towards the back. It didn't take long before she heard the clacking of shoes traveling across the semi-greasy floor. Max looks up and behold.. Joyce.

"Hello, Miss. What would you li-" Joyce was stunned as to who was sitting before her. "Oh my gosh, is that you Max..? Max Caufield?"

For a second, Max panicked thinking Joyce would call her out in her own restaurant. But no, all Max really saw was.. Relief?

"H-hello Joyce. Nice to see you again. You look the same."

"Like as in, I still work at this diner after all these years."

"As in you're still beautiful."

"Nice save, kid. What would you like?"

"I'm dying to have one of your Belgium waffles. Can I have a coffee with that?"

"Sure thing, sweetie. Give me a couple of minutes."

' _So crazy to be here after so long.. I just wish I wasn't alone.. Warren could've been here but I don't want him to get into this mess. I need to fix things with Chloe. Even if we never speak again, I want her to know that I am sorry. I need her to accept my apology and move on.'_

"Here you go, darlin'. So what's Max Caufield doing in Arcadia Bay after all these years?"

"I got a scholarship to Blackwell, mainly for photography. Mark Jefferson is one of my favorite teachers, and I jumped on the chance when I could."

"That's good, glad you're doing what you've wanted to do since you were young."

"I also came here… for um.."

"Chloe."

Max bowed her head while holding her coffee with both hands. Her and Joyce had mutual silence, none knew what to say, exactly. But Max finally broke the silence as she remembered their "Meeting".

"So.. Chloe and I actually saw each other at a party yesterday night.. And let's just say, it didn't go well."

Joyce took a seat across from Max, folding her hands on the table and sighing. "What happened, exactly?"

Max went on to tell her that she recognized the girl but it took a while for Chloe to recognize her. Max didn't know Warren knew her, of course. It's funny how things happen.. Max started getting teary-eyed when telling Joyce about how mad she'd seen Chloe.. It broke her heart to see her old best friend broken by everything. It wasn't fair to her. It never was.

"She came home yesterday with such anger, she went up to her room and blasted music, probably smoking her usual stuff."

"She smokes..?"

"Max, 5 years can change a person a lot. Hell, one day can. The day that William died.. I saw a part of her die. She was always a daddy's girl, whether she thinks I didn't know or not. I tried to be strong, I tried.." Max puts her hand over Joyce's as she continues talking. "Chloe's grades started dropping like flies.. By the time she was 16, she got expelled and she was a high school dropout. She earned a scholarship, and it was thrown away. And as you can see, she hasn't really moved forward with her life."

"Man.. I never thought about how much this would hurt her. Not that I didn't know it would but.. The amount is high. I wish I would've contacted her.. She'd probably be in a better state."

"Don't blame this on yourself, honey.. I understand why." Joyce then gave Max a reassuring smile.

"J-Joyce, can I.. Ask you something?"

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Chloe mentioned that everyone abandoned her.. William, me and.. Rachel. _Who is_ _she_?"

* * *

" _ **Can't take another second of this head..**_

 _ **Making up stories, and saying I'm better off dead.**_

 _ **They want me to be this perfect thing;**_

 _ **Like everything is fine, like everything's okay.."**_

' _Fuck, what time is it..'_

 _9:34_

' _Of course..'_

This was the first time in a while that she's woken up this early. Her first thought after of course.. _'The fuck happened yesterday..'_

Chloe slowly rose from her bed, stretching and hearing the cracking of what she thought to be pretty much every bone in her body. Scuffling with her blue hair, she quickly threw on some clothes and sat by her desk.

' _For a second, I swore Max came back.. Yeah.. Yesterday, the party.. Oh..'_

Memories of her and Max flooded in her head, and the punk girl showed a side that no one, besides Max and Rachel, had really seen before. Everything bottled up in her body came pouring out as Chloe's eyes were waterfalls. As much as it hurts to admit, Chloe missed being in the presence of Max. But the fact that it took 5 years to get a response from her made her feel like she was just forgotten. She wasn't wrong to feel that way, but she also needed to face a bit of reality. A reality that she never wanted to live through. Chloe being as stubborn as she is, she's still holding onto the past.

Chloe's emotions turned to numbness. All she could do it whisper to herself. "If they only knew the damage they've caused me.. The hurt that I feel the second I wake up. I just want to be happy. Is.. Is that too much to ask for? I.. I want Max back in my life, but I can't let that happen. Rachel was amazing but.. No one can replace Max. Urgh, FUCK!" Chloe grabbed her keys and beanie, booking it out the door. The idea of confronting Max stung her, but she needed to release everything she's built up. The only place Chloe thought Max would be.. Blackwell.

* * *

' _Girl dorms, girl dorms.. Shit, I haven't been here in a while. Uhh.. Ah!'_

The stomping of the tall girl pretty much got the attention of everyone near her, wondering what she was doing here. A few guys yelled "Yo Chloe!" But she paid no mind to them. She was just focused on one person: Max.

Finally entering the building of the dorms, there were only a few girls chatting here and there. They also turned their heads, staring at the blue-haired punk. Chloe stopped, turned to a particular girl, she had glasses and a pony tail. Nerdy looking. Ugh.

"Yo uh.. Which room is Max Caufield's?"

"Max? Uh, I'm sorry, who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, nerd. Just tell me."

"Look, I'm not sure who you are but you can't just come in here asking where people sleep-"

"She's my fucking friend, okay! Just tell me!"

"She's never menti-"

"Seriously?! I'll go find it my fucking self."

' _Despised this place then.. Still do now."_

The only way Chloe could really tell which room was hers is by the dry erase boards. Maybe she had something written on there that would resemble her.

' _Bigfoot has bigballs.. Hella stupid. Next..'_

' _Weed 4 lyfe. Well, they're not wrong.. But not her.'_

' _Will bang 4 JESUS. Wow, someone's not having a good day.. Don't think this is Max, though.'_

' _A picture of a camera.. Of course.'_

Chloe brushes off the slight nervousness, replacing it with anger as she remembers exactly why she came here. She lifts her fist and knocks on the door. No response.

"Fuck.. Max, this is.. Chloe. Come out." And Chloe banged on the door a few more times. Still nothing.

"MAX!" Chloe's anger was boiling as the girl didn't respond. _'If she's not here.. Where the fuck is she? Hm.. I know just who to ask.'_

As Chloe passed by, the girl she talked to beforehand was still there. "Thanks for helping me whatever your name is. I found her room by the way."

"My name is.. Hey!..." The words faded out as Chloe flipped her off, exiting the dorms.

"How the hell am I supposed to know which room his is?!"

Chloe looked all around the boys dorm room, none of them even gave her a slight clue as to which one was Warren's. She figured he'd stand out considering he's such a huge science geek. She could always text him where Max was, but she thought it'd be better to do it face to face. Clearly she might have to go down that route, she didn't feel like knocking on each door and asking where Warren was. The hallway was deserted so no one could see her pacing back and forth thinking of what her next move is. She hears the dorm door open, quickly turning her head and.. Not him. _'Damn..'_

Giving up, she started walking towards the door when she was stopped by the one teen. "Are you even supposed to be here?"

"Chill dude, I was just looking for someone."

"Who, exactly?"

"Ugh.. Warren? Nerd science genius guy. Seen him?"

"What would a girl like you want with a guy like.. him.."

"Don't get any dumb ideas, dumbass. I just need to see him over a mutual person."

"Last time I checked, he went out with some girl a while ago. But he's back, just saw him at the bench sitting outside."

' _This guy actually co-operated. Awesome.'_

"Thanksdudegottagobye!"

Warren sat down on the bench, enjoying the peaceful day, flipping his phone in his hand. "I hope she's doing alright.. I wi- AHHH!.. Chloe, what the hell?!"

Chloe tackled Warren down with ease, standing up feeling proud that she could take down the guy. "Hey dude. I was wondering wh-"

"Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I wante-"

Brushing himself off, he stood up, rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. "You shouldn't be here, Chloe."

"But I n-"

"The things you said to Max and I we-"

"Oh my God.. Would you let me fucking FINISH?!"

"…."

"Finally, damn.. Warren, where the hell is Max?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I need to talk to her. Like now." Deep down it was killing her that Max wasn't around. She needed to get this off of her as soon as possible. The only lead to her location was Warren.

"After what you said to her-"

"Yeah, yeah. It wasn't the nicest thing. Who cares. I need to talk."

"Well I can tell you she's not here."

"Dude, can you just please tell me where she is?"

"No. She'll come to you when she feels like it. Go away."

"Warren, I'm not fucking around! I need to see her now."

"Guess what? I'm not saying shit. Why don't you go ask someone else?"

"Oh, so just because she's your girlfriend means you can't give her best friend anything?!"

"You mean former.. Best friend. You two aren't even friends anymore. You know this."

And he was right.. Although they could probably click like the past 5 years didn't happen, it was also like they were total strangers. Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to say. It hurt her even more hearing it from someone else. Especially Max's boyfriend.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Sh-shut up.."

"Clearly you did for a good while. And here I thought you were someone nobody could trip up."

The anger was back.. And this time it was to a limit that she'd only reached a few times. She took a few steps towards the boy who was now staring at her with confusion. It was then that Chloe grabbed his shirt by the collar, pulling him close to her, nearly spitting in his face. "I'm going to ask you one last time.. _Where. Is. She._ "

* * *

"And that's how they became close friends.. That is of course, until Rachel suddenly disappeared."

"Holy wowsers.. That was a lot to take in."

"This is only from my point of view, Max.. Imagine Chloe's. I spent too much time sitting here. It was a pleasure talking and seeing you again, sweetie. Whenever you want to, stop by the house."

"Thank you for forgiving me, Joyce. I shouldn't have left you guys hanging."

"Life happens, Max. You just gotta learn to move on. It's okay."

Joyce got up from the booth, leaving Max to take in everything she'd just heard from the older woman. _'Rachel and Chloe seemed more than just friends judging on what she told me.. But I won't assume anything.'_

It was a bittersweet thing for Max. Rachel was there to help Chloe, and it seemed like she even kept her going. On the other hand, that should've been her. She was too chicken shit to message after what happened with Chloe.. She didn't wanna face her knowing she left her. She suddenly felt a vibration in her pocket. Reaching into it, it was a message from Brooke.

' _Hey Max, just to let you know some random girl came in here claiming to be your friend.. She had blue hair, looked really punky, and she seemed sorta pissed off. I'd watch it if I were you.'_

"Shit.. Chloe.." Max gathered her things, leaving 15 bucks on the table and dashed out of the diner like fire. She needed the bus to get there soon. _'Why did she come looking for me..'_

10 minutes later, the bus arrives and Max quickly crawls into her seat. The bus ride felt like eternity, dealing with anticipation and fear as she had no clue why Chloe would look for her. Max knew she needed to locate her as fast as possible. Racing to the girls dorm, she knocked on Brooke's door, whispering "Come on, come on.." To herself.

Brooke opens the door and her eyes are wide open. She peaks her head out the door and looks left and right, then back at the girl. "She wanted to see you really badly. You need to find her before she tears up the place."

"Where did she go?"

"All I know is she left the girls dorm.. Maybe she's at the boys one?"

"Shit! Warren!"

"Wha-" Max was already gone.

"Fuckfuckfuck!" Max dashed around people as she needed to get to Warren. Chloe knows they're together and if anything, she's probably asking him where she is.

She hears commotion in the distance, screams of "I'm not telling you!" and "Just tell me before I kick your balls off!". She recognized the voices, zooming to get to where the 2 are.

When Max turned the corner, she saw Chloe's hand filled with Warren's shirt, a fist held up in the air ready to clock Warren. Before Chloe could, Max ran over and stopped the girl from doing it.

"Get the fuck off of m-"

"Chloe, get off!"

Chloe froze, staring at Max with her ocean filled eyes. She slowly released his shirt, now all wrinkled up, and lowered her fist. Max released her arm and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She then turned to Warren, asking if he was okay. Getting a small nod in response, she turned back to the girl who almost KO'd her boyfriend, letting out a huge sigh.

"I'm here, Chloe.. What the hell do you want?"

* * *

 **I'm sorry about being so terrible at keeping up with this story. I want to slow burn it but I tend to not wanna write after a while. Here is a chapter for you though. I wrote this in a few hours, I just went along with whatever popped up in my head. I don't think it's too bad though, right? Any who, until next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I feel bad for this being a short chapter. I'll try to make up for it in future ones. I know you guys are being patient with me not updating, and I thank you guys for sticking around.**

* * *

"Well?" Max crossed her arms, tapping her toes to the ground as she waited for an answer from Chloe.

Chloe took a deep breath through her nose, trying to gather all the anger and breathe it out. "You and I need to talk, Max. Now."

"What's to talk about? You told me to fuck off when I TRIED talking."

"Maybe that's because I haven't seen you in 5 fucking years! Do you know how it feels to know your so-called best friend is back in town and she doesn't call or text?"

"I was going to, Chloe! I already to you I wa-"

"No, Max! You weren't. If that was the case, you would've. But you waited 5 years! If it wasn't for your little boyfriend, I'd still be wondering what the fuck happened to you!"

Everyone around them were just staring, tiny whispers traveling back and forth.

"What the fuck, Chloe.." Warren spoke out

"Can it, nerd."

"Chloe, don't talk to my boyfriend that way."

"Oh, so your boyfriend is more important than me huh? I see how it is."

"Do NOT play the guilt card on me."

"Ugh!" Chloe lunged over at Max, grabbing her wrist and dragging her.

Max quickly tried smacking her hand off her wrist, but to no avail. "Let. Me the fuck.. go!"

"I'm not gonna talk about this anymore as long as we're here! And I do not want Blackhell security up my ass."

"Yo, lay off my girl Chloe!" Warren quickly gets up and runs after them. Chloe notices and quickly whispers something to Max that gets both of them to stop running, and Chloe releases her grip from Max. Warren continues bolting towards them before Max holds her hands up.

"Okay, okay Chloe. You win.. But fuck, why the tight grip?"

"Max, come on!"

"Tell him to fuck off, Max."

"Warren, it's okay. Just let me go."

"Dude, she'll hurt you!"

"Even if that's the case, just let me go. I don't think she'll do anything bad though."

Warren slowly walks over to Chloe, with his finger shoved in her face. "If you even fucking touch her.. I'm coming after you, Price. No one will save you."

They both stare at each other with hate before Max grabs Warren's shoulders and turns him to face her. She gave him a quick kiss as Chloe shook her head and started walking. With Warren walking the other direction, Max follows the punk to God knows where.

"So where exactly are we going? You know I don't have time to-"

"Shut up."

"No. I came along, now you wanted to talk. Let's get this over with."

"Can you wait 'til we get there? Shit."

"No"

Chloe slams her hands on the wheel causing the truck to jerk a little. "Fuck!"

"What are you gonna do? Rewind time? I can't change the past, Chloe. If you want to be stuck on that for the rest of your life, so be it. Don't fuck up my life because of it."

"I-.. Please! Can we fucking do this when we get to where we're going? I don't want to crash because my mind is thinking a million things at the moment."

"Whatever." Max lays her head on the truck door, closing her eyes slowly.

15 minutes, later, Chloe abruptly stops her truck, causing Max to jerk forward in fear.

"Chloe, what the fuck?!.. W-Where are we.."

Max never got a response as Chloe stormed out of the truck, pulling out a cigarette in the process. Max slowly looked up and saw nothing but junk around her. _'A junkyard. So.. Chloe.'_ Grabbing her backpack, she opened the bulky door and slammed it shut, slowly following the girl. _'I wonder how Chloe found this place. An escape from the real world, it seems. Wait, who is she talking to?'_

Off in the distance, she saw Chloe discussing something with a semi-homeless looking man. There was an RV right in front of them. Next thing she sees is the man handing off something small to Chloe, and him getting back into the RV. Chloe then rushes over, shaking her head.

"Chloe, who was that? What were you doing?"

"Who cares? Let's talk."

"We are talking."

"You know what I mean, Caufield." Taking her last puff of the cigarette she previously lit up, she tossed it, only to light up another.

"You smoke a lot.."

"It's one of the few things that keep me from killing myself. Cigs, weed, alcohol, any sort of drug."

"Oh.."

 _ **[Cue the song; Gravity by Wage War.]**_

Chloe then sits on the hood of a car, her legs going back and forth for a few seconds, then still. "Max.. Why would you promise something if you can't keep it?"

"..."

"You know, it's funny." She then inhales the smoke and leans back on the hood. "The word 'promise' loses it's meaning everyday. In fact, I cringe at the thought of someone promising something. I feel like it's used as a word to get someone to shut the fuck up." She takes another inhale, and with a little sparkle in her eyes, Chloe tries not to show Max what she calls 'weak'. Meanwhile, Max just stares at her while leaning against the car across from Chloe. "You promised, Max. You said we would visit each other. You said we'd call, text, email, whatever it was, we'd always be Max and Chloe. Put yourself in my shoes. If your parent told you that your other parent just passed away, knowing your only best friend in a small town was moving in a few days; wouldn't you be just as destroyed as I was?" She couldn't hold the tears no longer. She wasn't crying hard, but she did shed some. She sat up and wiped the few tears away, staring straight at Max. "I know you had to move, I know you couldn't do anything about it. But telling me that you'd be there, and then barely even messaging me? It hurt.. It hurts. Nothing prepares you for losing your parent. I got tired of being the girl who'd sit in the corner of class. I got tired of everything because I was so _fucking_ sick of life. The only thing that was there for me were drugs.."

Max was now wiping tears from her face. _'I thought I knew the pain she was in.. Here I am acting like it's not a big deal that I stopped talking to her. She just wanted someone there for her._ _Why was I such an idiot..'_

"Despite all this.. I still went to school. I eventually got a scholarship to Blackhell a few years later. My grades were fucking dropping by the minute. I didn't give a shit." She threw the cigarette, blowing the last bit of smoke and looked down at her knees. "Then I met her.. Never in a million years did I think she would become important in my life. She saved me.."

' _Pretty sure she's talking about Rachel.'_

"But then just like other people in my life, she left. No words, nothing. I-.. Something happened to her!" She slammed her fist on the hood, startling Max a little. "She wouldn't leave me like this. I know she wouldn't.. I-I'm tired of being abandoned by everyone I love." Chloe brings her knees to her chest, digging her head into crossed arms, finally breaking down.

' _I haven't seen her like this since her dad died.. Of course, I wouldn't know how much she's cried, because I was too much of a coward to reach out to her.. I-I need to reassure her that I won't go. Not this time.'_

Max slowly walks over to Chloe, knowing that Chloe needed the most comfort she could get right now. Max hovered over her, putting her hand on Chloe's back, then wrapping her other arm completely around Chloe's already wrapped up body. Surprisingly, Chloe leans into Max and sobs even more when Max whispers "I'm sorry Chloe.. I should've been there. I wish I could go back and changes things. I'm so, so sorry. But I'm here now. I want to make things right with you. I want my best friend back. I only made 2 friends in Seattle, but none of them compares to you. You're one of the few people I would literally die for. Please, Chloe.. Give me a chance to make things right."

Chloe mumbles into Max's chest, but Max doesn't get what she's saying. Max backs away a little, hearing a small 'Hmph' from Chloe. "What did you say Chloe? I didn't get that."

"I said.." **Sniffle** "How can I t-trust you again? I'm so scared.."

"I'm not gonna promise anything because it won't mean much to you. I'm telling you that I'm going to try my best to rebuild your trust in me. Okay?"

Chloe just nodded in return.

* * *

"Where is he, Mark?"

"In the back of the truck."

"What are we waiting for? Bring him in."

* * *

 **Oop.**


End file.
